Where is Dissertation Girl?

In my attempt to catch up with my dissertation blogging, it is probably not a good idea to sit down at 10:11 PM, after just walking in the door after a long day at SWIC. But here goes -- I can't believe how tight my schedule has recently gotten!

But first -- let's review Spring Break. I was busy the first weekend of the break: some general catching up with house cleaning, the St Partick's 5 mile run, volunteering at a trivia night fund raiser. And then I left for Louisville, Kentucky for 4C's (the Conference on College Composition and Communication), I conference I have attended pretty much every year for the past 10+ years. I LOVE this conference -- it always provides a great opportunity to connect with other English types and to get in on relevant English teaching conversations. This year I presented at the Research Network Forum (RNF), an exhausting but fabulous experience (I promise to blog about this seperately as I got some useful feedback on my dissertation). Also, since Jim cut our cable, I was able to catch up on mindless television and get the entire bed to myself for a few nights. :D This past Sunday morning, I ran the Quivering Quads Trail Half Marathon, the most difficult physical race I have ever done (finishing in about 3 hours and 34 minutes!).

And now post-Spring Break! Classes just started up again yesterday but it feels like life pressed the Fast Forward button and I am still hovering over the Pause button. Both 101 classes looked at the film Crash yesterday (the evening class watched -- and discussed -- the entire film while the MWF saw the first third). Their third essay assignment (simply put) asks them to analyze the film in terms of all the readings that we have been doing this semester on race/ diversity/ etc. I think both classes seem receptive to what's going on but I feel like I am tired and worn out. I hate feeling like I am faking enthusiasm but that's pretty much what I am doing. Both classes were wonderful yesterday so that "faking feeling" makes me feel a wee bit on the guilty side as a teacher.

Mondays and Tuesdays are my toughest days since I teach both day and evening classes but I am not over the hurdle of this week yet. Tomorrow I am taking a group of students to the St Louis Rep to see a production of "Crime and Punishment" (and squeezing in a hair appointment in the afternoon). Thursday I spend the whole afternoon working the Bridge downtown; Thursday evening I have to go shopping for the wedding shower I am throwing for one of my fabulous friends at our place on Friday night. Saturday morning I have to be at the clinic by 7:30 AM but .... the weekend is looking pretty open after that! So I see sleep in my future!